"This year it starts with a lap race at Smithfield at the World Cup track and then we will move over to Atherton, over the Tablelands, go out to Irvinebank, Mount Mulligan and we will actually have a time trial at Laura this year as well." she said.

She says it is known as the "Tour de France" of mountain biking and this year's course and weather conditions will be testing for riders.

"There are quite a few returning racers, we have for instance a rider from Austria, Wolfgang Krenn who participated last year and got third," she said, "we have Cory Wallace from Canada who is the Canadian national marathon champion who came fifth last year and wants to go for the overall win this year."

Cairns-born Adam Cobain, one of 80 riders making last-minute preparations for the Cairns to Cooktown race says he is a little daunted.

"I think it is sort of a dual edged sword, because we know, living up here, how tough it is, we know what that sort of terrain is like out there, at Mt Mulligan and up to Laura," he said.

"Sometimes I wish I was coming from Europe and just a little bit blind to it all and just get through on sheer adrenalin.

"It is always going to be tough and I don't think you can prepare, whether you live here or not, 100 per cent for it, it is just a very, very tough place to race a bike."

The 37-year-old says he will be riding with Simon Gillett, whose wife Amy died during a training run while representing Australia in Germany in 2005.

"It is on most riders' bucket lists of races to do in ones career so you know, I need to tick that box and secondly as part of our team, the Amy Gillett Foundation we're aiming to raise some money for the organisation." he said.